Some Christmas gifts for the outdoorsy type

December 5, 2015

I thought I’d do a little gift present idea thing for people that are a bit like me.

First up a DVD that I helped fund on Kickstarter. It features Tom Allen & Leon McCarron, two British adventurers who set out to follow Iran’s longest river, aiming to go beyond the politics and showcase the culture and geography of this misunderstood nation. I’ve not had a chance to watch it yet, but I’ve loved following the journey these guys have gone through to get this film done. I respect the love, time and effort they’ve ploughed into it.

So if you want to buy a Christmas gift and also really help a couple of guys trying to make a living doing what they love. Buy the DVD.

The first one was my first introduction to Alastair Humphreys and in many ways was the start of getting into this blogging thing. It’s a short, inspirational and informative little number that really helped me reframe some of the priorities in my life. Another of Alastair’s books that I’ve not read it, but I would love to get someday, is this book Microadventures: Local Discoveries for Great Escapes. Microadventures are seriously fun, so if you have a loved one that’s into the outdoors, they might like these books. You also might be interested in my little microadventure up Pen-Y-Fan.

Last Child in the Woods is a bit of a seminal book in my opinion, rich with insight and thoughts about how our kids are becoming more and more alienated from nature. He talks about nature deficit disorder, which leads to many behavioural problems. This book is a must for any parent in my opinion.

I’m also big fans of the Meek family. We have two of their books, which are jam packed with ideas of how to get you and your family outdoors, and your can also learn a thing or two about bushcraft. 100 Family Adventures especially is a handy little guide that you could just flick through to pick up and find a better idea than just going to the playground.

A week or so ago I headed to the Finisterre Store in London for the launch of Backwash magazine. I reckon a copy of this will be a nice gift. Pre order your copy here. It’s beautifully designed, written and has come amazing photos. We saw the below video at the launch, and I picked up a copy. Both are a feast for the eyes.

One of my other favourite surf books is called September. It was made by the Stranger Collective, a few years ago and is now out of print. It’s an awesome book from a particularly creative crew who headed out to Ireland’s West coast, surfed, wrote, drew and photographed it all. I will genuinely loan this book to any one who wants to take a look, I might ask that you loan me a book that is of equal value to you as a swap.

This is the albatross – my mate Dan Crocketts car, laden with boards

p.s. help me out – I’ve put in affiliate links to the products that are available on amazon. If you click on the links in this post and buy on the same machine, I’ll get a bit of money – which will certainly help us with our next adventure.

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@chasing.wilderness

About Chasing Wilderness

I am a father of two who is on the hunt for a bit of wild whether big or small - whether it be a little bit of wilderness in the city, the garden or the great outdoors, up a mountain or in the sea.

I want to keep up myself active and mentally stimulated and do the same for my daughters and keep them away from computers and televisions as they grow up.

I love surfing, windsurfing, sailing, walking, cycling and taking photos. I am not particularly professional at any of these, in fact it want to embrace my nativity, and inspire others to get involved with chasing a little bit of wilderness.

The wilderness in calling. I just need the motivation to chase it down.